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There's no question that Nike's collection of frontcourt talent was the highlight of the week. It was unfortunate that the pairings didn't necessarily allow for the best to face the best, but that gives us something to debate and look forward to when they get to college. Of course, those debates might be cancelled in favor of NBA Draft discussion although no players really stood out as Darius Miles did last year.

The camp certainly wasn't lacking guards, but the future floor generals of America saw a real drop off after an elite few. The depth at point guard was very good, but only a couple of player really distinguished themselves. The crop of also was a bit undersized compared to past years, but they were still getting it done with quickness and floor savvy.

Indy didn't have the high numbers of underclassmen that it usually features, which was actually kind of nice since it allows for more time to evaluate the seniors. The underclassmen who were in attendance were very deserving with center Amare Stoudamire earning the nod as the camps top talent by many scouts.

From the Indiana perspective, Bob Knight did not make an appearance and really didn't need to as the Hoosiers have nearly completed their recruiting this season. Assistants Pat Knight and Mike Davis were on hand, but seemed most interested in a pair of underclassmen - point guard Chadd Moore and forward Sean May. Both of whom are among the top young talents in the 2002 class.

Here's a look at the top 5 players at each position from Nike.

1. Aaron Miles 6-0, 165 (Portland, OR) - A true leader. Even in the glory-first atmosphere of Nike, when Miles was on the floor he commanded the respect of his teammates. As fatigue consumed many of his peers in the final game of the camp, Miles' attitude was still coaxing the very best from his squad. He gets it done with smarts as much as he does with skill. This guy is ready to run a college team right now.

2. DaJuan Wagner, 6-0, 185 (Camden, NJ)- Most experts probably think I should have my head checked to list Wagner behind Miles, but Wagner isn't the floor leader that Miles is. He is more talented overall physically, but he doesn't play with the same poise that I like to see at the point. Defenders have to respect his scoring ability and occasionally on his way to the basket he dishes to a teammate. When he learns to recognize where the help defense is coming from and finds the open man instead of forcing bad shots he'll be unstoppable.

3. Carlos Hurt, 6-0, 179 (Houston, TX) - How Denny Crum coaxed this kid to Louisville I will never know, but if Hurt sticks around for the next four years the Cardinals are a team to watch. If he is surrounded with even average talent Hurt will elevate their play to the point Louisville could contend for their first Final Four appearance since 1984. Hurt is the total package with great scoring ability and incredible court sense. He averaged 17 points and 10 assists last season and

4. Chris Thomas, 6-0, 166 (Indianapolis, IN) - Indiana's best guard doesn't have the flash the others in the top 5 do, but he gets the job done. Thomas never gets rattled and handles even the toughest pressure without turning the ball over. He didn't have his best offensive game at Nike, but still showed the knack for finding the open man and running a team that he has since helping lead Pike High School to a state championship as a freshman.

5. John Gilchrist, 6-0, 165 (Virginia Beach, VA) - Tremendous athlete who surprises with his explosiveness around the basket. He can get to the rim and finish like a forward, because of his leaping ability and also has a nice shot out to the arc. He didn't showcase his passing ability as much as he did his scoring skills, but passers are a rare commodity at Nike. He averaged over seven a game last season so we'll assume he can find the open man when he wants to.

Chadd Moore - No doubt one of the top prospects of 2002, however, he left the camp early for undisclosed reasons. Frankly, Moore wasn't one of those guys who needed to prove himself. He had coachs' jaws dropping last summer in Indy and no one questions whether or not he is capable of playing big time hoops. Indiana has a bead on him and he seems equally interested in the Hoosiers, but IU's chances are directly linked to assistant coach Mike Davis being on staff when Moore casts his lot.

1. Rashaad Carruth, 6-3, 195 (Mouth of Wilson, VA) - When you see Carruth handle the ball you think point guard, but you'd have an easier time wresting a T-bone steak from a prison inmate than you would the ball from Carruth. That's alright though, because the ball is in good hands. He can score off the dribble and has no problem filling it up from the perimeter. Committed to Kentucky during a 10-second press conference at Nike.

2. Anthony Rice, 6-4, 175 (College Park, GA) - Bombs away. This kid didn't release a shot that I didn't feel had a real chance of going in. Can drain it from well beyond the arc and also has a nice pull-up game off the dribble. He'll be teamed with Wagner at Memphis after next year and that tandem is frightening. Look for the Tigers to be a serious national contender if they can keep their backcourt together.

3. Melvin Scott, 6-2, 165 (Baltimore, MD) - Can play the point effectively if need be, but he has such a nice stroke that you'd like to be able to run him off screens and let him fire at will. Scott's ability with the ball in his hands allows him to create shots when there doesn't seem to be anything available. A little undersized to play off-guard, but he works hard defensively (even at Nike) and his intensity allows him to match-up even when he gives up a little size.

4. Bracey Wright, 6-3, 177 (The Colony, TX) - Reminded me of a short Kobe Bryant. Yeah that's a tall order, but he's absolutely fearless going to the rack and can throw it down on anyone. His leaping ability could allow him to play the wing at times in college. He didn't show the great shooting touch that the other guys on this list did, but he has a tremendous game off the dribble and buckled his defender's knees with a nice cross-over on more that one occasion.

T. 5. Pierre Pierce, 6-4, 180 (Westmont, IL) - Hoosier fans will appreciate the talent, but hate seeing this kid up close and personal the next few years. Pierce pledged to Steve Alford shortly after last year's Nike Camp and he continues to impress. Slated by many to play point guard at the next level, but it will be hard to convince this kid to be a distributor when he can score at will and has the size to play off-guard in college.

T. 5. Dion Harris, 6-2, 178 (Detroit, MI) - Kids in northern Michigan must eat their Wheaties. Harris is only going to be a sophomore next season and he already has a better body and mindset than most of the seniors-to-be. It seems Tom Izzo's pool of great guard talent never runs dry and of course the Spartans are already swarming this talent. He's the total package of scoring and passing right now and he still has three more years to refine his skills.

Kyle Hankins - The Bloomington product had his moments and proved himself worthy of a Nike invitation. Quicker than many scouts give him credit for and his calling card has always been that sweet stroke from beyond the arc. He would love to stay in B-Town - will the Hoosiers give him that chance?

1. Jawad Williams, 6-7, 185 (Cleveland, OH) - So smooth with the ball that when I first started watching I thought he was a point guard. After I checked the roster and saw his size I was blown away. He's outstanding in the open floor and can rain jump shots or just blow by defenders for dunks. A few evaluators saw flaws in his game, but that's like complaining about Shaq's free throw woes after he won the title. One of the best players in the country hands down.

2. Levi Watkins, 6-6, 219 (Germantown, MD) - High energy player who's outstanding in the open floor and can soar. Loves to throw it down on bigger players and has the strength to do it. It's hard to find something negative with Watkins' game given that he gets on the glass and has a nice touch on his jumpshot. If you had to pick one thing it's that his aggressive attitude sometimes gets the better of him and he pushes a bad situation. Once he starts looking to pass out of double-teams...dare I say flawless?

3. Joshua Childress, 6-5, 181 (Los Angeles, CA) - Wing player has plenty of versatility. His athleticism allows him to handle a forward slot, but his ball-handling and shooting are as good as any shooting guard in the country. He scores so effortlessly that at times the other players on the floor seem to be moving in slow motion. Occasionally has trouble with stronger players on defense, but if his man beats him on the defensive end he'll make them pay the next time his team has the ball.

4. Andre Patterson, 6-6, 195 (Los Angeles, CA) - If you're a IU fan the only thing negative about Patterson's game is that he might bring it to West Lafayette. He's a transplanted Hoosier and when he has the chance to get out and run you'll be hard pressed to find a better transition scorer in the Midwest or on the West Coast. Patterson's also not afraid to pull up for a 3, but he really catches your eye when he goes to the rim.

5. Keith Jackson, 6-4, 191 (Cincinnati, OH) - When Jackson is on he's nearly unstoppable and the bad news for his competition is he's usually on. Not as strong as some of the other small forwards at the top of the 2001 class, but not many of his peers can swish the long ball, score in the paint and play the caliber of defense he can either. Some consider him a little undersized to play forward at the next level, but trust me his defense is more than adequate even against bigger players.

Dennis Coutee - Opened some eyes in Indy after many believed he should have received an invitation last year. Has a game-ready physique and can really shoot from outside. Louisville would love to pair him with Hurt as a shooting guard and that would be a tough combo to beat. He still likes the Hoosiers quite a bit, but IU is looking for a point guard or more help up front first.

1. Ousamane Cisse, 6-7, 230 (Montgomery, AL) - Talk about attitude problems. Cisse doesn't just want to win he wants to dominate and do it with a nasty disposition. In the three games, I saw him play he didn't crack a smile one time and I'm not sure I've ever seen a player as intense. Nike is usually a pretty loose event, but if you aren't ready to play against Cisse you're going to get hurt. He's outstanding on the offensive glass and when he wants to finish in the paint forget about it. The range on his jumper is limited, but he's not out there to finesse anyone and if he catches the ball low enough its two points.

2. David Lee, 6-7, 213 (St. Louis, MO) - Not a true power forward, but don't tell him that. Lee isn't a bruiser, in fact his arms are kind of twiggy compared to some of the maulers he faced at Nike. However, Lee is tough and on many occasions in Indy guarded players he was giving away 50 pounds to. He won't back down from anyone and that included the camps top centers. Lee has nice quick moves to the basket and compliments them with good range on his jump shot. Probably the best all-around player at Nike.

3. David Harrison, 6-10, 239 (Nashville, TN) - Not as intense as Cisse, but Harrison crashes the boards and can body up with anyone. He was a powerhouse early on at Nike, prompting a move to a team that needed some size. He filled the center role in the latter games and no one he faced on the last day could match his presence in the paint. Not a great shooter, but he has a bevy of post moves and there's really no need for him to stray too far from the basket to put up big numbers.

4. Sean May, 6-7, 254 (Bloomington, IN) - Proved he is one of the most talented underclassmen in the nation with a body that will only get stronger. May played very efficiently all week and did so without using his jumpshot very often. It seemed his coach wanted him to stay inside almost exclusively. Not a bad idea, but May has range out to the 3-point line and would have been even more effective inside if he had been given the chance to loosen up the defense a little. Still not the presence on the boards you would expect, but he's getting better every game.

5. Jason Maxiell, 6-5, 219 (Carrollton, TX) - At the beginning of camp some of the other power forwards probably thought they were in for a treat when matched up with Maxiell - wrong. He may be a little short, but he has the same reach as most 6-9 players and can really elevate. Maxiell blocked shots at an alarming rate and when he did face players his height he smothered them. Most of his offense came inside on dunks, but he did knock down a couple of short jumpers when defenders didn't step out. Needs to extend his range, but an emerging talent.

Sean May - With Sean Kline already committed for the 2001 season, the Hoosier's frontcourt focus was on this man-child due to graduate the following year. It's been a while since IU has had a player of May's size around the basket. He's been a regular at Indiana games for years and IU and company will do everything they can to keep him in town.

1. Amare Stoudemire, 6-9, 224 (Lake Wales, FL) - Everyone went into Nike talking about Chandler, but left thinking about Stoudemire. Many younger players have a tendency to be tentative in all-star events like Nike, but not this kid. He wanted the ball on every trip and probably could have scored on just about trip if he had been given the ball. Great moves in the paint and a nice jumper to boot. It's hard to imagine that a player with his talent has two years of high school ball left, but he does and based on what he did to the competition at Nike college coaches aren't recruiting against each other, their recruiting against the lure of the NBA.

2. Elton Brown, 6-7, 251 (Newport News, VA) - Considered a top 50 prospect by most scouts, but after what I saw him do at Nike I think even that's a bit of a snub. He was unstoppable in the post and in his last game at the camp flat out dominated much bigger players. Brown gets good position and then loves to use a jump hook that no one seemed capable of stopping. He's very strong on the offensive glass and can finish in a crowd. Also, very well conditioned and gets up and down the floor quickly without wearing down.

3. Tyson Chandler, 6-11, 216 (Buena Park, CA) - Go to college Tyson. Chandler says he might go straight to the NBA, but what a mistake that would be. He has the raw potential to be outstanding, but he gets frustrated too easily and gets manhandled by any physical post player. At Nike if he got out of the gate slowly he struggled the whole game, but when he was on you could fully understand why scouts are so high on this kid. Chandler has great athletic ability and a nice medium-range jumper, which makes him very difficult for most centers to guard. However, he needs to go to school and mature both mentally and physically before going to the league.

4. Wendell Gibson, 6-6, 271 (Far Rockaway, NY) - Wide-body shocked many in attendance by humiliating Chandler in a head-to-head match up even though he doesn't have the upside that Chandler does. Gibson really knows how to use his body and strength to play defense against taller players. On the offensive end his long arms allow him to get up shots over even the best shotblockers. On paper his weight might seem a little high, but he carries it very well and is very solid. Gibson understands his limitations and plays intelligent basketball.

5. Ngagne Diop, 7-0, 295 (Mouth of Wilson, VA) - They say you can't teach size and even if you could it would be hard to get someone to Diop's level of achievement. His game has a long way to go, but if you're going to take on a project this is the kid. He isn't completely comfortable with his body and doesn't dominate as he should. Still, he is a powerful rebounder, shows flashes of offense around the basket and will only continue to get better. I would like to have seen him face Chandler just to evaluate the difference in talent, but the pairings didn't allow for that.

Anybody on this list would be more than worthy of a look from the Hoosiers, but IU didn't seem to be eyeballing any centers at Nike. IU has George Leach and Kirk Haston to man the middle and probably won't be in the market for a center for at least another year or two.